Stormwind House of Magistrates
The Stormwind House of Magistrates is the pinnacle of the Kingdom of Stormwind's legal justice system. Established centuries ago by the House of Wrynn to oversee legal affairs within the Kingdom of Azeroth and act as a central gathering of the Magistrates of the land, the role has of the House has fluctuated over the years. With the destruction of Stormwind at the end of the First Great War, the House was, by default, abolished with the Horde occupation of the Kingdom of Azeroth. So it has come to pass that in the years succeeding the Cataclysm King Varian Wrynn has found need of resurrecting the old institution to once again serve his kingdom. Please note that this page refers to a player-run organization that is part of the Stormwind Judiciary, not a lore organization. For a list of all Magistrates, including those not affiliated with the House of Magistrates roleplay, please see Magistrate (Stormwind). For a list of all Lord Magistrates, please see Lord Magistrate (Stormwind). Function The House of Magistrates functions as a gathering of all those who carry the title of Magistrate within the Kingdom of Stormwind. It is here that legal scholars, barristers and judges all gather to discuss and entertain legal notions and problems that arise within the kingdom. The number of Magistrates sitting in the House fluctuates at the whim of the King, although the number of sitting members can grow large (as it contains visiting scholars, local barristers, and ministry adjundents) the number of voting members is usually quite small. The House, on rare occasion, also hears and decides on major legal challenges and trials brought forth before it. Those of high standing accussed of high treason, regicide, and high crimes against the Kingdom may all have their cases heard before a select committee of magistrates from the House known as the Stormwind High Court. =Structure= ---- The Stormwind House of Magistrates, while ultimately at the mercy of the King's whim, maintains an internal structure that promotes fairness and impartiality. The roles and positions within the king's court have varying degrees of requirements and credentials. The Lord Magistrate The court is lead by a Lord or High Magistrate. The Lord-Magistrate acts as the presiding officer of the House and carries the responsibilities of organizing the court’s portfolio, qualifying Magistrates to sit in the House and on the various courts, as well as holding the position as Magistrate of the Stormwind High Court. The Lord-Magistrate is appointed by the King of Stormwind. Note: The present Lord-Magistrate is a made-up non-player character. It is generally agreed upon that the title of Lord-Magistrate should not fall to a player character due to the title's power and significance. Decisions that must be made by the Lord-Magistrate are generally discussed and agreed upon on an out-of-character level by all parties involved before being put into action. Magistrates Magistrates serve as judges whom accept or reject to oversee court cases and any cases that have been appealed. They are expected to remain unbiased in the cases they oversee and pass judgement based only on the word of the law as it stands. Magistrates may also bring up legal issues and present them to the courts for review, voting on action as needed. To be granted the robes of a Magistrate and given authority to hear cases in court, a candidate must write a letter to one of the current Magistrates, expressing interest in the position. To be considered for examination, a candidate must have the following qualifications: * The candidate must be a landowning citizen of Stormwind. * The candidate must '' have a clean criminal record and have not been convicted of any serious crime. * The candidate ''must have at least three months of experience as a court secretary or barrister in order to be considered. Once a candidate applies, they must pass a battery of examinations before being granted Magisterial status: * The candidate must pass the Stormwind Magistrate Examination on concepts of law administered by the House of Magistrates. * The candidate must receive a plurality of support from the active magistrates in a formal vote on admission. If there is a tie, then the Lord Magistrate will be consulted to break the tie. * The player must agree to abide by all of the guidelines specified in the Magistrate Roleplaying Guide and the Stormwind Judiciary Code of Conduct. Advisors Advisors, or Ombudsmen, are members of the court whom solely serve in advisory positions. It is their duty to ensure that Magistrates are being true to the word of the law. They are forbidden from observing evidence or discussing court cases prior to witnessing the cases in court themselves, as to ensure their neutrality in judging Magistrates' performance in court. Advisors may also bring up legal issues and present them to the courts for review, voting on action as needed. Mediators Mediators are responsible for obtaining the neutral legal reasoning of both sides of a case and presenting it to both the defense and plaintiff. They may also seek a resolution between both parties that would negate the need for a trial. Mediators may also bring up legal issues and present them to the courts for review, voting on action as needed. Barristers Barristers, colloquially known as lawyers, are individuals who are learned in the law and might be hired to act as aides to a defense's prosecution (plaintiff) or defense (defendant) in a court case. While they do not pass judgement in a court case, they may persuade a magistrate to judge a case in their favor through legal reasoning. Secretaries Secretaries are individuals who work for the court as a whole, mostly as a means of communication. They are tasked with maintaining contact with all parties involved in cases and recording the minutes of any meetings or hearings. Category:Organizations Category:Stormwind House of Magistrates Category:Kingdom of Stormwind Category:Stormwind Organizations Category:Law Organizations Category:Laws of Stormwind